BARBERVILLE, Fla. — Josh Richards opened the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season exactly the same way he did a year ago — with a convincing victory during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals.
But the path “Kid Rocket” took to the checkered flag in Thursday night’s 50-lap A-Main was decidedly different than in 2007.
A dominant flag-to-flag winner in last year’s tour lidlifter at the half-mile oval, Richards had to battle from start-to-finish this time to pocket a $10,150 top prize for his seventh career WoO LMS triumph.
“It was a lot harder tonight,” said Richards, who started third but didn’t take over the lead until lap 31 when Shane Clanton retired with mechanical trouble. “I was a nervous wreck the whole race.”
Richards, 19, had just disposed of Jimmy Owens for second and was beginning to bid for the lead when Clanton pulled up lame on the 31st circuit with a broken right-rear axle tube. Richards built a full straightaway edge before a caution flag on lap 46 wiped it out, but he kept his Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1 solidly in front following the restart.
Even Billy Moyer, who entered the night two-for-two in UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model action during the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, was unable to stop Richards’ drive to victory. The dirt-late-model legend restarted on Richards’s rear bumper, but he spent the remaining circuits racing for second with Rick Eckert.
Richards crossed the finish line 1.262 seconds ahead of Eckert, who drove forward from the 24th starting spot to earn runner-up money.  Moyer was third, ahead of defending series champion Steve Francis and Shannon Babb.
“I saw that caution at the end and I was like, ‘Oh, man,’” said Richards, whose car was powered by a Cornett engine. “I figured Moyer was just gonna drive by and that would be it, but I never even saw him.
“I just tried to hold my line the rest of the race. It felt like it took me 20 minutes to get off of turn four for the win.”
Steve Shaver was the fast qualifier for the 70-car field with a lap of 16.620 seconds.
The finish:
Josh Richards, Rick Eckert, Billy Moyer, Steve Francis, Shannon Babb, Darren Miller, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Jimmy Owens, John Blankenship, Darrell Lanigan, Tim McCreadie, Don O’Neal, Dan Schlieper, Clint Smith, Chub Frank, Brian Shirley, Mike Knight, Ivedent Lloyd, Tim Fuller, Brady Smith, Shane Clanton, Justin Rattliff, Billy Decker, Steve Shaver, Terry Casey, Earl Pearson, Jr., Brandon Kinzer.